If you have been on LinkedIn or any sort of major job board lately, one of the things that strike you is just how many recruiters there are out there. At times, it seems like they are all the same. They have the same style, post the same jobs, and use the same methods. So, how can you, as a recruiter, make yourself get noticed more in this crowd? By building a personal brand that stands out. The reason all these recruiters seem the same is that they are all reading from the same playbook. If you want to differentiate yourself from the herd, you need to create your own playbook to follow and that is what will make people start looking at you as a different kind of recruiter.
What Should Your Personal Brand Be?
When you start talking about personal brands, this is a question you hear a lot. And, while there will be some tips to follow about HOW to build your personal brand, no one can define what your personal brand should be but you. Your brand should be unique and authentic and truly show people what you are all about. If you are trying to emulate someone else too much or not being true to who you are or what you do, your branding could do more harm than good. Think about what you are good at and what you like doing and start crafting your brand around that. Being authentic is very important because faking a persona is not sustainable in the long run. You will only add to your stress and will want to give up.
Start Blogging
Writing articles about recruiting topics will have a few different benefits to you as you establish your personal brand. First, it will show your point of view and your overall ideas about being a recruiter. Secondly, it will set you up as a thought leader in your field. Finally, it will increase your name recognition. The combination of these three things will make you stand out over the faceless masses of recruiters out there just by taking some time and writing down your feelings on a topic or giving advice from a personal perspective.
Look Past LinkedIn
Every recruiter is on LinkedIn nowadays. So, this is not to say stop using it or even use it less, it is still the most valuable social media tool in recruiting. That does not mean that other social media outlets are not valuable though. Get on Twitter and Instagram and start sharing both your professorial skills but your personality too. Be human and personable and share, comment and add value to other peoples’ ideas, thoughts and questions. These platforms allow for more exposure and they also have fewer recruiters using them for that so you can really stand out. You don’t have to be on social media all the time, but consistency is key. If your clients and candidates are on there, why wouldn’t you want to be part of that community?
Start an Interesting Email List
If writing or tweeting doesn’t appeal to you or if it doesn’t fit your skillset or brand, consider creating and maintaining an interesting, newsletter type email blast. It does not have to go out often, and it does not have to be anything incredibly detailed. If you send out an occasional blast to people you have networked or worked with that contains interesting and useful information, your name will be right at the top of their list next time they need a recruiter.
Think originality. Spotify created a playlist to attract candidates called: “We need you” and featured a mix of bands and artists and on closer inspection the song titles spelled out a hidden message letting candidates know Spotify thinks they are awesome and wanted them to join the team. You don’t have to be that creative or dramatic but engage with people on a human level and you will be surprised on how successful your strategy will be.
Conclusion
Only you can decide what your personal brand is but, once you have found it, use some of these techniques to broadcast it.
The more you do, the more you will stand out in the crowded world of recruiting. Remember this is a long term strategy – no quick wins!